Greg Hinz On Politics

O'Hare gate deal takes off—nine more now, likely dozens soon after

The Emanuel administration and major air carriers have reached agreement on a significant expansion of O'Hare International Airport's passenger terminals, with nine gates to be added by 2019 and potentially dozens more in a brand new terminal a few years later.

The deal, to be announced tomorrow by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and airline CEOs, should give O'Hare enough room to meet growing demand for "30 to 40 years," according to Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans.

"We are writing the next chapter in Chicago's aviation future," said Emanuel.

The plans have been under development for several months and are the latest and in some ways a most-needed step to keep O'Hare viable and price competitive after earlier announcements of a final new runway, de-icing pads and new hotel facilities at the huge but aging airfield.

The exact size of the expansion is still in flux, with Evans saying only that airlines have submitted their requests and "everyone wants more gates." But it appears the new gates will rival the net 25 new gates added when United Airlines Terminal 1 opened in 1987 and possibly be exceeded only by the entire O'Hare footprint when it opened in the 1960s.

According to city officials, the expansion will come in two pieces.

First, the existing Terminal 5, which now serves only international flights, will have nine gates added to the current 24. The new gates will go on the east end of the terminal, where some small structures recently were demolished.

The $300 million project will be funded with existing O'Hare revenues and passenger seat charges. While the airlines support the plan, using existing revenue sources will expedite work, with the city to formally seek a design bidder next week and construction to be completed in 2019, Evans said.

The work will give O'Hare the "flexibility" to continue using Terminal 5 solely for international flights, or part of it for domestic operations, Evans said. Increasingly, the distinction is meaningless, with passengers from countries such as Canada and Ireland already clearing customs overseas, rather than here.

The expansion also will provide for a second gate to serve the super-large Airbus 380.

"As Chicago's hometown airline, we are committed to building a stronger, more vibrant O'Hare that will help elevate the travel experience for our customers,” Oscar Munoz, United's president and CEO, said in a statement. “We support the city's effort to expand Terminal 5 and will continue working with our partners to develop the long-term vision for O'Hare.”

Photo

Chicago Department of Aviation

The much larger second phase—'in the billions of dollars," according to Evans—will be the demolition and replacement of Terminal 2, O'Hare's oldest, originally built a half century ago.

Because O'Hare is tearing out a diagonal runway, hundreds of acres of space are being opened to the west of the terminal, Evans said. Not all will be used for terminals, but the "terminal platform" will roughly triple, to nearly 650 acres over all.

Having that amount of space will allow construction on a portion of the new Terminal 2, to begin and be done before demolishing the old terminal, Evans said. "Ideally" demolition would occur all at once, but much will depend on airline demand for more space.

Evans repeatedly refused to say how many net gates would be added in Terminal 2, which now has 42 gates. But American, United, Spirit and Delta Airlines all want additional space, she said, and all have agreed "in concept" to the plan the city is announcing.

Delta, for instance, after all but abandoning O'Hare a few years ago, now uses eight gates and wants a "significant' expansion.

American recently agreed to add five new gates for commuter jets but wants more. And almost always, when American expands, United wants to stay ahead. As for discount carrier Spirit, "I can't give them as many gates as I want (now)," Evans said.

Evans underlined that, under current plans, all of Terminal 2 still would be linked to the rest of the terminals, and thus walkable by a pedestrian. But design schematics provided by the city, see above, indicate that, beyond extending the new T2 to the west, the city could add two remote terminals west of that, as well as extend Concourse C, which is United's remote terminal in Terminal 1

O'Hare's business has picked up in the past couple of years after a slow recovery from Sept. 11. Particularly with lucrative international routes, lack of gates has hurt O'Hare's growth. "We've been capacity constrained," Evans said.

Evans said the new Terminal 2—which also could accommodate international flights and include a customs station and many more concession outlets—may be complete in "eight to 10 years," with the replacement gates open in five to seven years.

Notably absent from the announcement are any plans for a once proposed terminal on O'Hare's western end. But officials have continued discussions about western ground access, something would allow hotel and other development in DuPage County.